How?

Employee experiences are key to improve their engagement. Employees should feel good about their work, they should believe they belong to an organization and that this organization understands and cares about them. For example, the office get-together as simple as a coffee morning is essentially a gentle introduction into work and a time for people to connect: they catch up and share stories. People don’t feel as isolated and therefore are more motivated to engage in work (McNamara, 2019).  

Engaging your millennial employees is all about those smaller gestures which lead to an increase in loyalty, productivity and output. Contrary to expectations, many ways to boost engagement are very simple and absolutely free. Some easy ways are (Ball, n.d.; McNamara, 2019):  

• Involve them and give them accountability – millennials want to feel like they’re making a valuable contribution to company’s success, so let them help with decision-making. Allow time for employees to talk openly with the leaders of the organization who they might not have regular contact with. Give millennials accountability so they will care much more about their outcomes and will feel prouder of their successes. However, help them set achievable goals, so they will feel energized when they reach each milestone. 

• Be credible, transparent, provide feedback and show appreciation -  regularly check up with employees about their performance. Be open in communication especially when things are tough. Celebrate their successes and don’t dwell on their failures. Publicly acknowledge individuals in front of their colleagues by creating awards to the best teams and/or individuals. The prize can be as simple as a gift voucher.  

• Offer flexibility – Millennials carve for work/life balance. They also believe performance should be judged by quality of work not hours spent at the workplace. It they can work at home, consider reducing hours spent in the office by letting them work from home one day a week or leaving them early on Friday.  It this is not possible, cerate various types of work spaces, like quiet areas and get together places so they can move between them.  

• Set a career path and provide career development programs – millennials are focused on their career development, so consider various training programs or provide budget for teams to have their own custom-made training. It could be continuing education program or some easier to use training material. Try to match employees’ needs and desires with the needs of your company. 

• Show them you care - stick up for your employees, especially when they deserve praise or are being criticised by other unfairly. Resolve conflicts quickly and fairly. Show them that you understand, if they feel sluggish. If possible, introduce health and fitness perks.